In 1990, a British Airways pilot was sucked halfway out of cockpit; crew held his legs until landing

AI's reconstruction of the 1990 incident in which British Airways captain was pulled halfway out of the cockpit

A British Airways captain was nearly pulled out of his aircraft after a cockpit window shattered at 24,000 feet during a flight from England to Spain in June 1990. As the aircraft lost pressure, the force pulled the pilot's upper body through the broken window. Two crew members held on to him while the co-pilot took control and prepared for an emergency landing. According to Associated Press' then report, the incident took place on June 10, 1990, aboard British Airways flight 5390. The BAC-111 aircraft had taken off from Birmingham and was heading to Malaga, Spain, with 81 passengers and six crew members on board. Captain Tim Lancaster, 41, was flying the aircraft with co-pilot Alistair Atchison, 39. About 20 minutes after take-off, a cockpit window shattered. The sudden loss of pressure affected the flight deck and pulled Lancaster out of his seat. His head and shoulders were outside the aircraft, leaving the crew with little time to react. A steward in the forward galley heard a loud bang and saw what had happened. He rushed towards the cockpit and managed to grab Lancaster's legs. Another steward, Simon Rogers, joined him and helped restrain the captain. Their efforts prevented Lancaster from being pulled completely out of the aircraft. Meanwhile, Atchison took control of the aircraft and made an emergency call. He turned the plane around and prepared to land at Southampton Airport. The aircraft landed safely at around 9 am, ending an emergency that had put the captain's life at risk.

Crew responded quickly

A British Airways spokesman described the crew's response to the incident in comments reported by United Press International. "One of the cabin crew went straight to the flight deck, where he managed to grab ahold of the captain, whose head and shoulders I believe were out the window," the spokesman said. He also explained how another steward helped hold Lancaster while the co-pilot concentrated on landing the aircraft. "A second steward, Simon Rogers, strapped himself into the captain's seat and restrained the captain while the first officer undertook the landing," he said. The co-pilot, Atchison, radioed a Mayday message to Eastleigh Airport in Southampton. He then brought the aircraft down safely. Southampton was about 76 miles south-west of London, according to the UPI report. The emergency landing allowed the passengers and crew to leave the aircraft safely. However, the incident had left several people shaken.

Pilot suffered fractures and frostbite

Lancaster was taken to Southampton Hospital for treatment. He was listed in comfortable condition, according to the British Airways spokesman quoted by UPI. His injuries included fractures to his elbow, wrist and thumb. He also suffered frostbite to one hand and shock. The sudden loss of pressure in the cockpit had not affected the passenger cabin in the same way. However, six passengers and crew members were treated for shock and later released from hospital, UPI reported. British Airways arranged another aircraft for the passengers who wanted to continue their journey. Seventy-seven passengers travelled onwards to Malaga. The incident raised questions about what had caused the cockpit window to break during the flight. British Airways officials said they did not immediately know why the windscreen had shattered. Civil aviation investigators began examining the aircraft to establish the cause.